Iron fence-post



(No Model.)

M. D. CUMMINGS.

' IRON FENCE POST.

No. 348,383. Patented Aug. 31, 1886.

*Tro

WITNESSES M4 QV ZJMQJ a .dttorneys,

N4 PFrERs, PhMwLilhognphur, Washingion. [1C- UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

MONTROVILL D. CUMMINGS, OF HOPE, OHIO.

IRON FENCE-POST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 348,383, dated August31, 1886.

Application filed September 26, 1885. Serial No.178,2 74. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MoNTRovILL D. CUM- MINGS, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Hope, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio,have invented new and useful Im provements in Iron Fence-Posts, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of fences which have posts of ironwith provision for receiving and securing the fencing.

The object of my invention .is to combine durability, neatness,strength, simplicity, and cheapness in a fence and post, and toconstruct ametal post that can be used to make wooden or iron fences.

My improved construction furnishes a post capable of receiving boards,rails, or pickets by means of adjustable clips embracing a U- shapedpost attached to an anchor of advantageous construction, as willhereinafter appear from the description and the accompanying-drawings,wherein- Figure 1 represents in elevation a portion of a picket fenceembracing my improvements; Fig. 2, a view of the post, taken in the lineof the fence. Figs. 3 and 4 are details of the fastening-clip for thepicket-rails. Fig. 5 is a part of the picket-rail; Fig. 6, a viewsimilar to Fig. 1, but showing a board fence with iron posts; Fig. 7, aView of the post, taken in the line of the fence. Fig. 8 shows theboards fastened by the clip, and Fig, 9 the fasteningclip. Fig. 10 isthe anchor-foot, showing the post-receiving grooves 1',- and Fig. 11 atop view of the anchor-foot.

The post proper, A, is preferably made of a flat thin wrought-iron barbent edgewise into a shape somewhat like a tuning-fork, so

as to give strength and to receive the rails a between the edges of thebent bar. The ends I) b of this bent bar A are riveted or bolted to acast-iron anchor-piece, B, to be presently described. The post hasvertically-adjustable clip-bolts 0, having one end formed into a hook,(I, for grasping the bar of the open post upon one edge. The bolt passesthrough a separate hook -clip, 6, embracing the other edge of the post.These bolts have threaded ends to receive nuts f, for their securementand to clamp the post-bars. In the case of a fence made up of boardrails, the bolts pass through or under thelapped rails O in theirposition ot'lapping within the open bars of the post; but when the postis required to be used for a picket fence,whether the pickets D (seeFig. 1) be of wood or iron, then a sleeve, 9,

having an eye, h. is swung or pivoted upon' the said bolt within andbetween the open bars formed by the tune-forked-shaped post. This sleevemay receive either wooden or iron rails a for the pickets D, and if thelatter they should meet or nearly abut, and the sleeve be of snfficientlength to permit of its confining the ends of the meeting rails in theirexpansion and contraction, which prevents the fence from drawing out ofline. The sleeve 9 has stop-lugs c, which bear against the post-barswhen the iron or wooden bar is within it. The clips, with or without thesleeve, are capable of vertical adjustment, as will be understood fromthe above, at any point upon the post-bars.

In a picket fence wherein the pickets must pierce the rails a, whetherthey be of wood or iron, the hole j,(see Fig. 5,) through which thepickets pass, has a notch, k, to receive a looking key orwedge, Z, tohold the pickets firmly.

The anchor-piece B is of cast-iron, having four projections, m m m m,joining a broad long foot, n, whereby it is held firmly in the ground.

The ends of the bent tune-fork-like wroughtiron post are secured andbraced in grooves 1 'r on the side of the foot projection m of theanchor, and secured by rivets or screw-bolts. The lower ends of thepost-bars may have a series of holes by which to adjust the height ofthe post in the base-grooves r r at any time, or the post and its basemay be set and fastened together, as shown. The grooves r r are formedby side lugs, which serve to brace the post and make the connectionsecure. The separate hook-clip has long and short legs, the long leglying upon the bolt, serving to keep the clip level and prevent itsdrawing around. If a hooked bolt be used, then only one clip isnecessary, for in that case the hook will serve the purpose of a clip,as shown. The fastening of the pickets by the key Z, driven into thenotch k, makes the securement adjustable, and permits the pickets to beeasily removed and replaced. The

anchor foot prevents the post from being frozen out or leaning over andkeeps the fence in good line. Its right-angled wings or projections mare wider as they approach the sur- 5 face of the ground, and, inconnection with the foot n, give steadiness to the post, and it is onthese Wide ends on their sides that the lugs are cast to form thebracing-grooves r a for the open ends of the bent bar A. I The clip-boltc and its hook-clip e serve to clamp the post-bars upon the sides of thesleeve 9 or upon the boards a, and thus firmly and securely bind theseparts to the post at the proper height, so that the clips 0 d cf willsecure the boards 0 G for a board fence or rails a for a picket fence.

I claim 1. In an iron fence post, the combination, with the line-postyoke-bar, of a foot-anchor having sockets r r, to receive the ends ofsaid yoke, fastening-bolts for said yoke ends, and a clip-bolt clampedupon the opposite outer edges of said yoke, whereby to support and clampthe fencing by and between the inner edges of said yoke-bar, as setforth.

2. The fence-post clip-clamp consisting of the bolt 0 d, the hook-clipe, and the nut f, combined with the sleeve 9, having an eye, h, wherebythe sleeve is secured to said clip-bolt, and the bent U shaped post-barclamped upon 0 said sleeve, as described.

3. The clip-clamp fastening consisting of the bolt 0, the hook-clip e,the nut f, and the sleeve having an eye, h, and side lugs, ii,

combined with a bent U-shaped post-bar, A, 5

MONTROVILL l). CUMMINGS.

' \Vitnesses:

PAUL J ONES, L L'IE J onns.

